I stood up resolutely and headed to my room, throwing the door open. The girls were sitting tightly together, both on the couch and in rows on the floor. All their heads simultaneously tore themselves away from their cartoons and turned in my direction; fifty eyes were now staring at me at once.
"I need four female volunteers with whom I can walk to the outskirts of the city!" I blurted out before my resolve faded.
"Of course you'll get them. Choose any you like," Lisa replied, sitting on the sofa surrounded by her friends. "But maybe you should have lunch first before you leave? Everything's been ready for a long time; my friends have been working hard for you."
Lisa pointed to a plate of fried eggs and fried sausages on the edge of the table, covered with a transparent saucepan lid. I
